Farewell
by Japyra
Summary: Sakura never had a chance to say goodbye for good, and her heart never healed. In a desperate plan she comes to set her love free, no matter the cost to her. Perhaps Sasuke can learn to love again. SasSak


**Yay! My second SasSak oneshot! Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the song _Our Farewell._**

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_In my hands  
A legacy of memories  
I can hear you say my name  
I can almost see your smile  
Feel the warmth of your embrace  
But there is nothing but silence now  
Around the one I loved  
Is this our farewell?_

Sweet darling you worry too much, my child  
See the sadness in your eyes  
You are not alone in life  
Although you might think that you are

_Never thought  
This day would come so soon  
We had no time to say goodbye  
How can the world just carry on?  
I feel so lost when you are not at my sight  
But there's nothing but silence now  
Around the one I loved  
Is this our farewell?_

Sweet darling you worry too much, my child  
See the sadness in your eyes  
You are not alone in life  
Although you might think that you are

So sorry your world is tumbling down  
I will watch you through these nights  
Rest your head and go to sleep  
Because my child, this is not our farewell.  
This is not our farewell. 

_-'Our Farewell' by Within Temptation_

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"Sakura..."

He was so close. The soft fabric of his shirt ruffled against her own in the cool night air. His warm breath tickled the skin of her nape. But he had never been so far. He was going on a road she could not follow, widening the gap between them.

"...thank you."

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That had been two years ago.

Haruno Sakura rolled up a scroll and sealed it, neatly stuffing it into her bag. She shook her head from the memory, sending pink locks swaying.

_No time for that now. Naruto will be returning soon from his training with Jiraiya._

The kunoichi strapped her weapons pouch on.

_I wish I could say goodbye to him but if he was here..._

She pulled her hair back into its headband.

_...he'd come after me. I can't have anything stopping me now._

The girl slung the pack over her shoulder, and turned off the light to her bedroom.

_Am I really doing this?_

The last thought made the medic halt her footsteps on the threshold of the door.

_I am, aren't I? _

A soft, sad smile curved on the ninja's lips.

_Yes... I am leaving Konoha to find Sasuke. Just like he left to find Itachi._

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Uchiha Sasuke knew that something bad was going to take place that day. The sky was too bright, and targets too easy. It was as if the world was making up for whatever it was about to do.

The ominous feeling started with a dream.

After leaving his hometown two years ago, the prodigy had never looked back. He did not wonder if his former best friend had survived their fight. He did not reminisce about Kakashi's constant tardiness. He did not consider returning to the place of his childhood. Above all, however, he did not even **think** about a certain coral-haired girl.

But last night, the avenger had dreamed of her.

_Only Sakura could be so annoying as to plague my mind asleep as well as awake._

In his illusionary state, the stoic teen had replayed a memory of his.

_"I love you so much!"_

_"Revenge won't make anyone happy!"_

_"Please stay... I'll do anything,"_

_"You taught me that loneliness is painful."_

The night she had cried her heart out too him. And in perfect cold-hearted fashion the shinobi insulted her, rendered her unconscious, and left.

That had been two years ago.

So why was he dreaming of it now?

The survivor took no note of Kabuto's sleek words as he dodged a kunai.

The raven-haired ninja had tried everything: scoff, discard, ignore. But the ill feeling remained in the aura today.

_What does it mean?_

The sharingan user was getting frustrated, impatient, and angry. He threw his own kunai roughly, exerting a dangerous amount of power.

_If it was just a memory why hasn't it gone away?_

The deranged medic came at him with chakra-infused fingers, ready to painfully sever a few muscles. The missing-nin leaned left to dodge, then twisted into a low kick to make him fall face-first.

_Damn that girl. Why does it feel as if there is something coming... some event that will change everything?_

The silver-haired shinobi tripped but turned it to a roll. Quickly recovering, he shot his knife at the younger man's shoulder. Sasuke caught the attacker by the wrist.

_And why do I think that Sakura is the cause of whatever is happening?_

Without much effort, the betrayer broke the wrist with a simple, powerful snap of his pale limbs.

Orochimaru's right hand cursed between his teeth as he pulled chakra into his fingers once again until a faint hue outlined it. With painful ease, he healed the broken bone.

_Can you feel it too Sasuke-kun? Is that why you are off today..._

Not looking back, the younger Uchiha turned away from the battle.

_Sakura..._

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A pink-haired medic stepped through the gates of Konoha, the same bittersweet curve of her lips.

"Haruno-chan, is everything alright?" The guard asked, catching her look.

She put on a pretty grin for him, silently saying goodbye to her home.

"Yeah, everything is good."

But as the kunoichi pumped chakra to her feet and began gliding through the canopy of green, her veridian eyes chanced one look back.

_You will all forgive me for this I hope. I couldn't bare to say goodbye to any of you this time... mother, father, Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, Tsunade... I'm sorry. _

Tears fell from her gaze, but Sakura clenched her fists. Feeling her heart wrench, she turned away from her home and sped through the forest. The wind streaked by, whipping her noticeable hair away and carrying her tears, perhaps back to them. She needed to go faster, into the green twilight of the forest. The ache was so strong in her, just to turn around and let it go. Let **him** go. But if one thing had not changed over two years it was the ninja's love for **him**.

Sasuke.

The medical nin no longer gave him the suffix at the end of his name. Metaphoric pink hearts did not dance in her head at the thought of him. She didn't seem his as faultless... not since he had almost killed her best friend. If there was one thing her former teammate had done that was truly unforgivable to her it was what he had done to his rival, and friend. That was the day logic entered her brain in a long time. But despite that, in fact maybe because of it, the kunoichi knew as well that she still loved him. It was an older, more pained feeling; but it was still there.

That is why the blossom of Konoha had left. She was going to get Sasuke back.

Sakura was an exceptionally bright girl. She knew that despite her own rigorous training with Tsuande, her betrayer would still be stronger. They had both trained as equally hard these two years for reasons of polar opposition: one for love, the other for revenge. But deep down, perhaps Sakura wanted a little to get back at the black-eyed prodigy for all he had done. And behind the frozen heart of the teen, his anger was spawned from the love of his parents. Perhaps they were not that different after all.

But even if they were somehow the same level of power, which in itself was highly unlikely, the pink-haired girl would still lose. She knew it too. Because the medic loved the younger Uchiha and she could never put her all into hurting him. But the Hokage's apprentice knew that the boy she loved would have no qualms about attacking her to kill. After all, he had done that to Naruto.

No, Sakura was not going to fight her ex-teammate. But she was going to get him back.

For Naruto

For Kakashi

For Konoha

For herself.

Of course in all eventuality the slug sanin would have sent a powerful ANBU squad after the missing nin. She was too clever to allow Orochimaru to have a new body as strong as that boy's. But they would battle to kill him, or else return home with a bloodied avenger in tow to be executed. And the distinguishable girl was not about to let that happen. He may be a cold traitor, but her heart had remained with him, and she could not bare for it to die with him.

So carefully, and pouring all of her genius, Haruno devised a plan to get her love back.

It lay, safely tucked, inside the burlap pack on her shoulders.

When he found out, he would probably hate her even more. But strangely that was alright with the kunoichi. Because he would live, and that was all that really mattered.

For her actions she would be dubbed a missing-nin and criminal ninja. Not S-class, but dangerous in her own right. But that didn't bother her either. Sakura wasn't worried about any punishment that would be handed down to her. After all...

She knew she was not going back home.

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Sasuke had not been this angry at someone for a very long time. The other sound nins made sure to stay clear of the potentially homicidal Uchiha violently making his way through the ranks. A limp scarp of parchment was clutched in his stark fist. For something seemingly innocent, it had caused the strong reaction in the normally stoic boy.

On its off-white surface sprawling, curving ink formed a short, yet infuriating note.

_You are dismissed. _The proclamation inside the daunting hold under his palm. Even after the cliché handwriting of his sensei, the avenger had needed Kabuto's delighted sneer to prove that this was not indeed a joke.

Unfortunately for the medic, he took the blunt of the prodigy's fury of the moment. He was still out despite the tries of several Sound.

The sharingan wielder ignored the fearful gazes and quick sidesteps of anyone he met stomping down the hall. His singularly-focused mind was on reaching one man at the moment. Reaching him and strangling a few answers out of him.

_Serpent bastard, _the raven-haired teen seethed.

The doorway into the sanin's chambers came into view, locked.

"Orochimaru!"

The word was spoken like as a challenge and the heavy metal doors burst open after a chakra-infused punch.

The scene that greeted his eyes was one that would never even play within the limited imagination of the betrayer. The onyx-stone orbs widened in a rare display of shock, muscles tensing at the... strangeness

There was his black-haired teacher, an S-class criminal. A grin of sadism lit his elegant, reptilian features. He was standing behind his desk, one spidery hand in pink locks.

The said strands of identifiable hair were resting on the head of an uncomfortable looking kunoichi, her eyes squeezed shut tightly. Both had turned to him at the blast the door made flying from its place.

Even after all this time he knew that face, he had dreamed of it last night. _Sakura..._

But the younger Uchiha's observant gaze noted a subtle change on the girl. Her face was paler than before, possible because the red tint in her cheeks had left. The doe-like chartreuse eyes once brimming with life were now lidded with sorrow. And the small upturn of her delicate lips was bittersweet rather than happy.

"Sasuke-kun, I trust this is about my message." The snake sanin said coyly, unraveling his hands from her head.

Haruno winced at the affectionate suffix.

"What the hell is going on?" His deep, silky monotone was laced with the rage he struggled to keep hidden.

"Sakura-chan here has agreed to help me with a little something. In return..." The golden iris widened with concealed laughter.

"...She asked that you be set free." This time a chilling hiss escaped his lips in twisted humor.

The handsomely cold face turned back to his former teammate as the leader of the Sound stood with his own serpentine grace and left the room, glancing back once.

"I'll let you have your moment, Sakura-chan." He exited through the hole in the wall where a door once resided.

There was a small pause as he left, and then an agitated Sasuke rounded on her.

"Sakura..." The name rolled off his lips as a threat.

However the female medic only widened her strange smile.

_It's almost like we're twelve again, and I'm begging him on a date..._

But the dreariness of the room dispelled those fancies. She was not 12, and she was not asking for something so simple.

"It's been a while...Sasuke." Her tone was not loathing or loving. It was soft and caressing, but far away.

"What are you doing?" The runaway demanded, sticking his hands in his pockets to prevent an out lash of violence. She was after all, the weakling of Team 7.

Tsunade's prized pupil took a bold step forward, her softened green eyes soaking in the features of the man she loved so much.

"I made a deal with Orochimaru. You can go now, you have enough strength to kill your brother and return to Konoha—"

Her words were cut short as the stubborn teen ran out of patience. He used force to shove the delicate blossom against the wall, forcing her deeper into the stone with his firm hands on her shoulders.

"I told you I was never coming back—" This time a seething Sasuke was cut off.

"Because you had to kill that man. I know Sasuke." Suddenly the pink-haired nin sounded exhausted. But her gaze never left his face, fearless. "I know...but now you can. Go kill Itachi and then return home Sasuke."

Again she left out the normal **kun** from his name. It disturbed the black-haired male greatly.

"What did you offer him?" His voice was controlled again those his hands were still holding each of her shoulders captive.

A reminiscent look glinted across the beautiful kunoichi's face. Her mind was not the only thing that had grown more mature. Her body had filled out and slenderly curved. The curiously wide forehead was outgrown and child-like face aged prematurely.

"...a jutsu and a new pair of eyes."

Confusion whirled in his dark eyes which she was rapidly, longingly drowning in.

"He gave up a body for that?"

The 14 year old shook her head, sending rosary swirling. "The jutsu will allow him to access his own physical form—a body molded of chakra to his creation. The eyes... well I gave a little pitch about the Byakugan versus the Sharingan and he decided that he wanted the Byakugan more... their head just died and I dug up his grave to remove these."

As she spoke her former teammate released her so Sakura could reach over to the desk. She had carried with her a scroll about the jutsu and two pairs of white orbs, undone and rolling in their soft velvet crate.

The sound ninja analyzed the facts presented to him for a moment, and not turning to her began to talk again.

"You are a criminal for doing this. The Hyuuga will be after your head."

"I already left a letter asking for Hinata's forgiveness. Besides it doesn't really matter..."

"Why?"

"Because the jutsu will take both mine and Kabuto's chakra skills to complete it, and since he is a few levels above me... You'll be making the journey back home a lone. But don't worry, I wrote them all not to hurt you."

Sasuke finally turned to her, an unreadable face. "Hurt me..."

The shinobi grabbed her wrists and threw her a little ways again.

"It doesn't change anything, you realize? I will still hunt down that man and tear him apart. I am still an S-class criminal, and damn it Sakura! I will not give up my revenge or power!"

He was bare inches from her face, fuming. But recklessness seized her again and Sakura leaned forward, allowing his hot breath to tickle her senses before capturing his lips into hers.

They were soft, and warm. Somehow she had always imagined them curving and biting. But underneath it all, the Uchiha was still human.

When the shock faded out the 14 year old male released his hold and reeled back, unsure of how to react to the gentle pressure the girl had just applied to his lips.

He hated his delay in action. For a moment that kiss had felt...

The candy-haired girl stepped forward again and breathed into his ear.

"Because I love you Sasuke, that's why. I cannot turn you away from Itachi any more than I can deny my own heart. You betrayed us and I may never forgive you... but I still love you."

"You would die for me?"

"I said I would do anything, remember?"

He did.

"Sakura..."

The traitor hated her for reminding him of his mortality, his weakness.

The shinobi was annoyed at her for being to weak to move on without him, live broken-hearted.

The Uchiha was amazed that she had gone so far for someone.

The boy loved her for refusing to let him go into shadow, for caring so much.

A look crossed Team 7's best member. It was the longing look of a child forced to grow up too fast, and the desperation of a person who had withheld emotions too long.

Sasuke kissed her back.

He possessed her lips in his, forcing her to back against the wall and trying to be gentle as primal urges rose up within the teen. His calloused hands gripped her waist, marking her as his own.

Sakura played carefully with the ebony spikes, her fingers tingling to the nape of his neck.

A second and a lifetime fell at once. But it was the girl who pulled away first, love and sadness deeply etched in her eyes.

"I won't let you die for me." His voice muttered huskily in her ear.

The child inside the cherry blossom wanted to throw herself into his chest and be protected, wanted to kiss him until they molded together and walk back home hand and hand. But every child has to grow up.

And if Haruno Sakura had a fault it was loving too deeply.

"It's no longer your choice."

Pale hands jerked around her waist, confused at their owner's sudden sense of possessiveness.

"But do something for me, Sasuke-kun." Her mouth strokes his ear, fingers sliding to the back of his neck again.

"Hn,"

"If you ever loved me then after you kill your brother... go home with me."

Her precise fingers found the pressure point in his neck.

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The duel between the two remaining Uchiha was fierce and colored in burgundy and black. But after many hours of illusions, fireballs, and kunai the battle ended.

Uchiha Itachi, kin-slayer, Akutsai member, S-class criminal: dead.

His younger brother washed in a river before returning to the place where he had laid her.

Haruno Sakura, medic of Konoha, died after completing the wilting blossom jutsu, removing Orochimaru from the world with her.

If he stood still and simply watched the sun dance off her unnaturally white face, the shinobi could pretend she was only sleeping. Her pink hair lay placidly down her back, lips tasting of tears, sweat, and sweetness turned blue. No blood adorned her body. It had been a sacrificial power, requiring its owner's death.

But Sasuke Uchiha could only pretend for a breath. After all, he had a limited imagination. So weary, and battle-sore the dark man picked the dead blossom up again, cradling her against his chest as he pumped the last reservoir of chakra to his feet, jumping among the trees with the wind whispering comforts. The brass gates of Konoha came into view.

At long last Sasuke and Sakura had returned home.

Naruto was the first to greet him, blue eyes filled with sorrow at the limp kunoichi his best friend was carrying.

Black eyes looked through at the town he had left so long ago. His home, and hers.

_Looks like I did love you in the end Sakura._

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**That nice pretty button that reads Submit Reviews might be the bribe for me to write another one-shot... and possibly a full-length story. So unless you have a few hundred cash to shell out, you might want to press it for shameless bribery!**


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